A year after the 22 day Israeli "Cast Lead" offensive, giant machines break down the rubble of destroyed Palestinian homes and buildings into smaller pieces to be recycled into floor tiles and lesser quality building blocks after being mixed with small quantities of cement December 16, 2009 near Rafah, in the Gaza strip. Because of the continuing Israeli and Egyptian blockade that restrict the amount of new building materials like concrete and rebar, Palestinians have been forced to creatively develop an alternative construction market using recycled supplies.